Friday, February 10, 2012

ISABELLE'S ARTISANAL OREOS - ORÉOS MAISON D'ISABELLE

A fellow who does things that count, doesn't usually stop to count them.- Albert Einstein

A bit of fragrance always clings to the hand that gives roses.

- Chinese Proverb

The blogosphere is brimming with heartwarming suprises and extraordinary individuals. Since I have started Rosa's Yummy Yums in 2005 it has never ceased to amaze me and blow my mind. This ever-growing community of culinary geeks and fanatics who share the same passion for cooking and baking is like a second family to me.

Throughout the years, I have met a load of fascinating people and made some very good friends among my fellow bloggers, some of which I have been lucky enough to meet physically and others I still dream of having a cup of coffee with in the future.

Of course, I am not exactly so naive as to believe that everything is shiny, pink and perfect in this virtual world. As a matter of fact, it is without a doubt no different from reality. Concurrence is big there too, so you'll sometimes come across a lot of rip-offs as well as mean and jealous trolls with a complex of inferiority and be the favorite target of anonymous psychos who get thrills out of insulting and harassing you.

Nonetheless, even if there were days when I felt discouraged, disgusted and depressed because a sad and ugly mofo with a twisted mind decided to vent his/her spleen on me in order to relieve himself/herself of his/her frustration, anger, hate and low self-esteem by bringing me down and making me feel bad, I have not let this adversity destroy me. What kept me going was the awareness that there is also a lot of kindness and generosity out there to outbalance the negativity.

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.- Leo Buscaglia

One man practicing kindness in the wilderness is worth all the temples this world pulls.- Jack Kerouac

For example, last week, when I was feeling rather low-spirited and wrote about my life story, I received many supportive and attentionate comments as well as personal messages which showed me that I was not alone, gave me hope, encouraged me to follow my path and brought back a smile on my face. This display of attention touched me deeply and I wish to thank my readers and colleague foodies for their sympathy, solicitude and friendship. You rule!

Lately, I have also been blessed to win a few giveaways and to be offered a bunch of wonderful cookbooks. Speaking of which, a few months ago Isabelle Lambert of the popular "Les gourmandises d'Isa" sent me an exemplary of her first publication. How nice and thoughtful of her. I was extremely thrilled that she had thought of me...

I have known this young woman for quite long now - we started blogging and joined The Daring Bakers practically at the same time - and have followed every step of her journey as a gourmande, so it is a enormous honor for me to present her work on my site.

Isabelle was born in France and has been living in Québec (Canada) for about a decade. She hails from a family of professional bakers/pâtissiers, butchers/pork butchers and caterers, and grew up being surrounded by cuisine enthusiasts who produced their own fare, hence it is no wonder that she cultivates a strong interest for the arts of the table.

This bubbly and dynamic lady decided to start a blog to stock all her recipes and constantly have them to hand, but after a while, comments came in and she began to realize that what she created impacted on others. As a result, she began to take this activity more seriously and put together posts with more detailed explanations and better pictures. Over the years, she gained many followers and ranks among the most influential French-speaking bloggers on the internet.

In her book, Isabelleshares 150of her favorite recipes inspired by her love for Québecois and North American chefs. It is chock-a-block full a ideas for delectable savory dishes such as quiches, Flemish beef stew, caramel pork, rillettes de Mans, monkfish blanquette, chicken tajine with dried apricots, lobster rolls as well as abunding with marvelous sweet treats (2/3 of the book is dedicated to desserts) such as piña colada muffins, maple syrup bars, creamy orange tart, bacon toffee, coffe éclairs, churros, salty caramel spread and many more.

Provided that you can read and understand the language of Molière (no translation exists),"Les Gourmandises d'Isa" is a lovely compendium of family-style, easy-to-achieve and tasty specialitise which will satisfy your appetite for fullfilling and comforting grub.

After a lot of hard-thinking and endless flipping through the pages of this softcover (taking decisions isn't my strong point), I finally decided that I was going to share with you Isabelle's own version of the famous Oreos.

I am still convinced that a good, simple, homemade cookie is preferable to all the store-bought cookies one can find.- James Beard

Noncooks think it's silly to invest two hours' work in two minutes' enjoyment; but if cooking is evanescent, so is the ballet.- Julia Child

I occasionally buy the original cookies when I come across a packet in my supermarket and moderatly appreciate that confection, yet I can't say that I entirely understand the fad about them nor that I can really say I find them as irresistible as everybody does. Originally, I was attracted to them because I have an open mind, thus I like trying new things and because they are a symbol of a country - USA- I dream of visiting and which's gastronomy I adore. However, I prefer not to consume junk on a regular basis (only rarely and there are still things I categorically refuse to touch) as I try to ban as much industrial "food" as possible from my diet. As a result, Oreos have only graced the shelves of my cupboard twice and I am seriously considering ending my relationship (if there was ever one, though) with them right now considering that they can easily be replicated at home.

We are living in a world today where lemonade is made from artificial flavors and furniture polish is made from real lemons.- Alfred E. Newman

High-tech tomatoes. Mysterious milk. Supersquash. Are we supposed to eat this stuff? Or is it going to eat us?- Annita Manning

Homemade Oreos are by far my drug of choice. Not only are they made with 100% natural ingredients, but they have a finer taste too. It is impossible to compare them with those produced by Nabisco, a division of Kraft Foods and another big corporation whose interest is not your health, but rather to create monopoly control over the food system.

Unlike the palm oil-loaded, additive-ladden, nutrient-poor and fashionable wafers, Isabelle's Oreos (which I have slighty altered - salt added to the filling and I substituted the margarine with butter) don't have a cardboardy/dusty flavor or fail to deliver oomph. Those "Artisanal Oreos" are not overly sweet and offer an intense aroma of cocoa, vanilla and butter. Once you've bitten into one, you'll get hooked and will forget your addiction for the manufactured stuff. It is definitely worthwhile investing efforts into the baking of those babies as store-bought biscuits cannot compare to these!

9. Place cookies on prepared baking sheets 2.5 cm apart.
10. Place the cookie sheets in the freezer for 15 minutes.
11. Bake the cookies in the middle of the oven for 15 minutes.
12. Remove them from the oven and let them cool on a wire rack.Method For The "Filling":
13. Beat the butter, until light and creamy.
14. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla and salt, then beat well until smooth.Method For "Assembling The Oreos"
15. After cookies have cooled, put 1 1/2 Tsp of the filling between two cookies, putting bottom sides together.

Comments:It is very important to freeze the pastry rounds if you do not want the cookies to spread out while baking.

I love the quotes you have used through your post..the chinese proverb has always been one of my favorites..Your photos are just so lovely..You have made Isabelle proud..i know so much more of her background now.

She shares so much..I am happy for her success.Well deserved..she is helpful also!

I've made oreos from scratch before based on Thomas Keller's recipe. I really like his chocolate sable, but the filling didn't quite turn out right and I always have to edit it to make it the right consistency.

Good for you for not allowing that negativity to affect you. I find it sad when people let themselves get caught up in it. You know in the end it is them, not the mean person, who looses out. Just my opinion.

The Oreos look amazing. I can't find the other ones so I can't wait to try her recipe. Thank you :)

Rosa,I have been so busy so not only I haven't posted but I haven't read my favorite blogs in few days. I totally missed your post about your life and search for meaning. We have so much in common, I have been struggling professionally for years, have a dream of opening a bakery but not money to do it. There are days that I feel so depressed about my job situation and my self esteem is so low. I can totally relate to your situation.

Weirdly though, after starting an horticultural program that only takes a day a week for 18 weeks, all of a sudden I get two job offers, two catering gigs, and few cake orders from friends. One job turned out too crazy, I took the one I know it will be good for me and I start Monday. I feel a little overwhelmed, but happy.

I hope 2012 will be the year you find your path, or at least find a meaningful way to express your talent.

Funny - I have always been able to keep Oreos in the house because I don't touch them - they are too sweet for me and temptation does not enter the equation. And then - I took a long, sweet look at your posted Oreos and knew that these were the real deal and I would have to get my fingers on them.

Rosa, you've been blogging for such a long time and I can't imagine how much you have experienced through this time. And remember, everyone cares about you because you are always genuinely nice to us. You bring great readers because of how you are. ;-)

I'd never thought of making homemade oreos because we can buy them so easily, but that's because I haven't had homemade oreos yet! I think I'd go crazy if I ever tasted homemade version! Great introduction of Isabelle!

I don't get the fascination with Oreos either (although I too have tried them). However, I have to say I'd prefer the home made version you have presented today Rosa! They look magnificent! And please ignore the trolls!

The book sounds gorgeous - especially that salty caramel spread - so I do hope there is a translated version one day. These cookies look gorgeous, all the better for having natural ingredients and being homemade!

You now, you always have the best quotes. I think store bought cookies are awful. My kids get "one junk food" when we go to the market. One time they picked chocolate chip cookies and I heard about how gross they were for days!!!!

The food blogosphere is certainly an interesting but mostly a supportive place. We are so lucky to come across such talented and supportive people with a common passion. To the negativity, well it's a waste of my time as it takes away from the good things I prefer to spend my time on. You said it all so well!By the way, these Oreos are the stuff of dreams and wouldn't last two seconds at my place :)

Be like the sunflower, face the sun and the shadows will fall behind. Keep the positive attitude.Onto the oreo cookies, my son loves them and I hope some day I can make them, even half as beautifully as u have!

Rosa, even though I have never had Oreos in my life (I have seen them in Switzerland but somehow their fat and sugar content was so badly advertised I have never felt like buying them), these look much more appetising than the supermarket ones. I am sure they taste great. If one day I'm really curious, I will make these Oreos instead of buying them. Thanks for introducing Isabelle.

I love these Oreos, Rosa! I can't believe you made a home version of it! I like it very much! This is a precious recipe!Regarding to the ugly anonymous comments, blogosphere in Croatia have the same problem. I actually wrote about it few posts earlier. It's not about how somebody doesn't like you, it's all about how somebody envy your beautiful work. His/hers twisted mind doesn't allow him/her to think clear, so he/she want to hurt other people. I just don't want to believe we live amoung those people. Just keep up good work, Rosa! There are so much more good people who love you and your work :) kisses

The blogging community is filled with encouragement. The negative is few and far between. Keep dancing to your own drummer and if there is the occasional negative comment that means that people are actually reading your words. I see that as a bonus! As for the oreos, lovely!

I'm sorry you've had some horrible trolls leave nasty comments Rosa. You are wonderful, you are immensely talented and you truly have a photographic gift. Believe in yourself, as I know you do, and ignore the haters.

Your oreos look fantastic, and I bet taste 1,000 times better than the packaged version. They really do look divine.

I'm so glad to hear so many people gave you love and support after your last post, Rosa. :-) It is such a comforting thing to know you are valued and not alone. xo Thank you for introducing us to this dear friend of yours. I look forward to getting to know her better. :-)

The way you put down words on paper is exceptional, it's a gift. I am always looking forward to reading your posts. After reading the post I take a moment to reflect on life. You get me inside and don't let anyone ever stop you. I am so mad when a person tries to destroy another person, especially with a special talent like yours.

Rosa, I totally understand how you feel...it is amazing how the blog world can get you connected with people all around the world. Moreover, you start to care for people that you never met and they start to be part of your life...you are part of so many people's life Rosa...I could "use" some of your oreos now as I am sipping on tea.Have a wonderful week :)

Your blog is so fantastic!!I really like your blog, you´re recipes are great!I invite you to visit my blog, I have a google traslator, so you can read me :DI´m your new follower, if you want we can follow each other.xoxoxo from Spainhttp://janakitchen.blogspot.com

I so very much enjoy reading your post every time! The way you express your feeling with the right word and framing of sentence is amazing. It sounds effortless. You are a great writer .. an awsm chef and how can I forget your photography :)These cookies sounds just too delicious! I must try my hand on it sometime.

Oh, more of Rosa's yummy yums! We do a cake like this where you put it all together and make a big "oreo" log. We've always called it the Hog Log. Oh yes, so much better than the overly sweet cookies at the market!And yes, our blogosphere sure does bring comfort at times. Sending you warm thoughts and happiness.

OMG! wait until my girls see this and I won't show it to them - read sneaky mom. I hate oreo and yes that cardboardy tste. But I can just tell that these are far away from those and does have plenty of ooomph in them. All the photographs are so beautiful.